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Why Choose a Collaborative Divorce?

Protect Children

Resolve your disputes respectfully and protect your children from the risk of serious emotional harm

Privacy

Maintain your privacy - you and your spouse make all decisions outside of the public court system

Self-Determination

Empower the parties, rather than a judge or someone else, to make their own divorce decisions

Save Time & Money

Save considerable time and money - most cases resolve in far less time than it takes to complete a litigated divorce

Trained Attorneys

Each party has his or her own collaborative lawyer who is 100% committed to settlement and the collaborative process

Professional Resources

In addition to two lawyers, you work with the support of neutral professionals to help with the financial and emotional aspects of divorce

Why Choose a Collaborative Divorce?

NHCLA is a non-profit organization with over 100 professionals trained in Collaborative Practice from the professions of law, mental health, and financial planning.

NHCLA was formed over ten years ago by a handful of members of the New Hampshire Bar who had too often seen the damage done to families embroiled in the litigation process, and who rejoiced to learn of an alternative.

Representatives from almost all of the largest law firms in NH are among our members. NHCLA is a member organization of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and is proud to be a part of furthering that organization’s goal, Resolving Disputes Respectfully.

“The entire legal profession: Lawyers, judges, and law professors, has become so mesmerized with the stimulation of the courtroom contest, that we tend to forget that we ought to be healers of conflict. For many claims, trial by adversarial contest must in time go the way of the ancient trial by battle and blood . . . . Our system has become too costly, too painful, too destructive, too inefficient for truly civilized people.”

Divorce is never easy. Family conflict can exhaust the emotional and financial resources of both spouses, and destroy any remaining respect between them. Especially when children are involved, this is a tragic way to end a relationship.

The traditional process of getting a lawyer, filing papers, engaging in “discovery,” and going before a judge makes a difficult situation immeasurably worse. The Collaborative Practice Divorce provides an alternative that supports you with legal, emotional, and financial expertise.

If you and your spouse want to end your marriage with dignity and respect and the possibility of an ongoing relationship as co-parents or friends, Collaborative Practice Divorce is for you! There are alternatives, however. Several forms of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) have been developed to assist couples to reach their own divorce agreements. If you and your spouse can make a fair and complete agreement using ADR, the Court will adopt it as your Final Decree.

The cost of Collaborative Practice varies according to the complexity of the issues. Generally, because of the sharing of professional costs, the lack of adversarial “gamesmanship,” and the faster process, it costs much less than a litigated divorce. Your lawyer can give you a better idea of the cost based on your specific situation.

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The content in our website is not intended to be professional legal or mental health advice, nor is it intended to create a professional relationship. Our Blog Posts are generously contributed by our members and may or may not reflect the views of the Organization. Every case is unique and for specific advice about your situation, please reach out to one of our members.